How the MedTech Revolution Will Use Mobile to save Lives

If you don’t think medical app developers have the power to save lives, don’t mention it to the doctors at Hahnemann Hospital. In a study from 2015, doctors at the institution experimented with a mobile notification system to encourage patient follow-ups. Readmissions dropped by 16 percent.

New upgrades to medical laws in the US (and possible tech-friendly revisions depending on the November presidential election outcome) promise to make eHealth mainstream within the next couple years. For doctors and app developers in Los Angeles alike, it’s been a long time coming.

Preventative healthcare and patient compliance are among the biggest problems facing the American healthcare system. Ultimately, solving these problems comes down to communication and data. Communication happens to be what mobile is best at, and simply connecting patients and doctors more readily and conveniently could be enough to improve many lives.

Data, on the other hand, has long been a difficult thing for patients and doctors to acquire at a reasonable cost. Thanks to wearable technology like Fitbits, that’s no longer the case, making preventative care and early detection of underlying problems much more straightforward. Medical app developers see big potential in medical wearable software platforms, not just smartphones. Once medical-focussed devices reach the popularity of fitness-focusses devices, doctors and app developers expect to see hospital admissions and long-term chronic health issues dramatically reduced.

With smartphone usage among millennials well over 80 percent, it’s no question that mobile will be a major part of the healthcare of the future. Startups have revolutionized every industry from transportation to hospitality — restrictive regulation has held tech at arm’s length from the US medical system for far too long. For sick patients and app developers, the MedTech revolution can’t come soon enough.